Chair sack



T. J. DOWD CHAIR SACK Filed Ap-r INVENTOR 77mm: JDOWQ/ X W ATTORNEYPatented Aug. 30, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFleE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to chair sacks, or containers for protecting andtransporting such articles as collapsible chairs which are used, forexample, by caterers and undertakers, and it has as its principal objectthe provision of a sack which is durable, fully protective, and readilyremovable and convenient to handle.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide a bag or sack forcollapsible chairs, intended'to protect the chairs during periods ofstorage, or while being transported to a place of use. Such sacks ashave come to my attention are, however, open to the serious objectionsof undue cost, and complications in design which require the workmen toexpend considerable time to remove or insert the chairs. Inasmuch as thesaving of minutes in these operations effects a pronounced saving incosts, the provision of a durable and protective, yet quickly removableand easily transported sack, is highly desirable.

According to the present invention, there is provided a chair sack inthe form of a bag hav ing an open end and formed with a number ofcompartments, so that each sack may snugly receive say six chairs. Theopen end of the sack is adapted to be covered with a closure flap, ofsuch length and disposition that it may be secured to hold the chairs inplace, and quickly released to permit all of the chairs to be removed inone operation.

The invention may be fully understood from a perusal of the followingdescription of a specific embodiment, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of the sack disposed in an upright position,with the closure flap secured;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the sack, viewed from the opposite side;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective of the bottom of the sack, invertedfrom the position of Fig. l; and, I

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing the sack disposed on itsside with the flap opened to show the interior compartment construction.

As it will readily appear from the drawing, the sack is in the form of abag, made of suitable fabric, having front and rear sides 10 and ilhaving a contour similar to that of the collapsed chair, and acontinuous side wall l2 determining the depth of the bag. The rear wallII is formed with a triangular extension I 3, of such width and lengththat, when it is folded over the open end l4, it lies between the sidewalls l2 and extends to about the mid-point of the front wall 10. Theinterior of the sack is provided with' a number of regularly spacedfabric partitions l5, sewed to the side walls I2, to provide individualcompartments} for the chairs.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the sack is illustrated with the chairs inplace,--the rounded parts of the backs being disposed adjacent therounded part of the side wall I2, with the feet. projecting a slightdistance beyond the end of the bag. When the triangular flap [3 isfolded over, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the bag is substantially closedagainst the entrance of dust, as the flap occupies practically all ofthe space between the feet. Due to the slight projection, however, thenest of chairs is self-supporting, and the package may thus be stored ortemporarily placed by itself in the upright position shown in Figs. 1and 2.

The front and rear walls It! and II are provided with pairs oftransversely disposed and spaced guides 16 and H, which are sewn to thebag walls along their upper and lower margins. These guides receive asecuring strap l8, the buckle IQ of which is positioned between theguides 16 on the front wall II). The triangular extension I 3 is formedwith a strap loop 20, of such length as to encircle the strap l8 whenthe flap I3 is pulled up snugly against the open end of the bag.

With the bag loaded and the flap l3 folded over and the strap l8buckled, it will be observed that the chairs in the sack are firmlysecured in a substantially solid package which is self-supporting. Onlya single connection need be secured or released in operating the sack,although the chairs are secured from movement in any direction. Thesefeatures are highly desirable, in connection with the conditions underwhich the sack and nested chairs are employed.

Usually, the chairs, in their sacks, must be loaded into the transportvan, taken to their destination, and removed and set up by one or twoworkmen, in a limited period of time. The nature of the presentinvention is such as to facilitate these operations. A workman may, bygrasping the sack under the arm pit, with the hand engaging the strapportion between the guides It or T1, readily carry two units at onetime. Since an upward pull on the strap merely tends to tighten the sackon the chairs, such manipulation does not cause the sack to be pulledoff or the bundle to become loosened. Upon putting down the loaded sack,the entire bundle becomes self-supporting, and the workman then simplyloosens the buckle I9 while bending over the sack, thus permitting thefree end of the flap 13 to fall on the floor. An upward pull on the topof the sack then frees all six chairs at once, thereby making theoperation of moving and unloading the chairs extremely simple.

When it is desired to fill the bag, the chairs may be inserted with thesack in the positions shown either in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4, and, as there isonly one strap to secure in order to bind the chairs both longitudinallyand circumferentially, it will be understood that the filling operationmay also be carried out expeditiously.

I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to provide bags forcollapsible chairs, and to have a plurality of straps to secure thepackage, and therefore it will be understood that I do not intend toclaim all forms of such devices. I do, however, intend to encompasswithin the scope of the following claims all such modifications andvariations of the specific embodiment herein described as embody thenovel features thereof.

I claim:

1. A chair sack comprising a fabric bag having an open end andsubstantially rectilinear front, rear, and side walls, a closed endadapted to conform to the configuration of the tops of chairs disposedtherein, the relative dimensions of the length and width of the sackwith respect to the chairs being such that the feet of the chairs mayproject slightly beyond the open end of the sack, whereby a plurality ofchairs positioned in the sack may stand upright on their own closelyspaced feet, an extension flap formed contiguous with one of said wallsadjacent the open end,

said flap being of such length as to overlie the open end and extend upthe opposed side wall, whereby said chairs are covered except for thesaid projecting feet, a transverse securing strap positioned around saidfront, rear, and side walls, means on the strap ends for securing thestrap in encircling position, and means on the end of the fiap adaptedto engage the strap adjacent its secured ends to hold said flap in tightposition over the open end of the sack.

2. A chair sack comprising a sewn fabric bag having front and rearWalls, a side wall extending between the front and rear walls andenclosing one end of the bag, the opposite end of the bag being open, aplurality of fabric partition walls uniformly spaced between the sidewalls whereby the bag may receive a number of collapsed chairs, therelative dimensions of the bag to the chairs being such that the feet ofthe chairs may project from the open end a slight distance, an extensionfiap continuous with one of said walls parallel to said partition walls,said flap being of such length as to overlie said open end and extendpartly up the opposed wall, said flap being of such width as to coversubstantially all of the space between said side walls, a loop formed onthe end of the fiap, a plurality of transversely disposed strap guideson the walls of the bag between the ends thereof, a strap positioned insaid guides to encircle the bag, a securing means on the strap to securethe ends thereof together, said strap being also adapted to receive saidloop to hold the flap tightly over the open end when the bag is loaded.

THOMAS J. DOWD.

